Whimsical Shady Solution

There are areas in our garden that do well in winter and spring's light, but suffer under summer's noon-day sun, especially my shade-loving Acanthus (bear's breech), variegated Aspidistra (cast iron plants) and Clivia. My practical husband wanted to erect some of our extra-tall tomato cages and cover the tops with cuttings from our vigorous 'Stuttgart' Canna to shade our sun-sensitive plants, and I agreed that it would be the most economical. But the more I thought about how the rows of leaf-covered tomato cages would affect the aesthetics of those spaces, I decided to purchase two inexpensive outdoor umbrellas. At a cost of $30 plus two used metal stakes, we were able to protect our shade-lovers from the burning rays of summer's sun and add a bit of colorful whimsy to our garden!